Last one off the pitch! Kounde fights for his Barca future with secret extra sessions
When Barcelona's training ends, one player stays behind: Jules Kounde is fighting a private battle for his place in Hansi Flick's team.
Details: According to SPORT, Kounde remains on the pitch for an extra 20 minutes after every session, working alone with Barca's fitness coaches and physios. The French defender knows he has lost ground in the pecking order, with just 112 La Liga minutes this season, and is determined to force his way back into the starting XI.
The slide has been brewing for months. Kounde admitted himself he was under par last season, Barcelona reportedly told suitors he was no longer untouchable, and a muscle injury with France before the World Cup did not help his case. With Eric Garcia and the club's young defenders impressing in Flick's high line, the three-time La Liga champion, who signed until 2030, suddenly finds himself as an expensive rotational option. But those who know Kounde insist this is exactly when he is most dangerous: the man who scored the Copa del Rey final winner against Real Madrid has never needed motivation twice, and his extra shifts at the Ciutat Esportiva are the loudest statement he can make without saying a word.
It's worth noting that Kounde rejected Chelsea to join Barcelona in 2022 partly because Xavi promised him a central defensive role, a promise that Flick's system has yet to fully honor.
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Miguel Solomons
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